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Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board Special Data Dissemination Standard (AS PROVIDED TO THE IMF BY THE RESPECTIVE COUNTRY)   Ireland Price index: Consumer prices (Consumer Price Index ) Last Posted: Jan-22-2009 Last Certified: Dec-29-2008 Last Updated: Dec-22-2008 Contact Person(s)          Printer Friendly Page   Mr. Andrew Murray, Statistician, Consumer Prices Unit, Central Statistics Office (CSO), Skehard Road, Cork, Ireland   Phone : 353 21 453 5122   Fax : 353 21 453 5433   Email : cpi@cso.ie  Dissemination Formats Summary Methodology Access National Summary Data Page Cross-country comparisons: access the DSBB metadata query facility

The Data: Coverage, Periodicity, and Timeliness
Coverage characteristics	5.1.1 Statistical presentation The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a Laspeyres-type index calculated on the basis of over 50,000 price quotations taken at 84 locations throughout the country to base mid-December 2006=100. 616 items are covered by the index. Prices are collected monthly, quarterly and yearly. The expenditure weights for the index relate to all private households  adjusted to include tourist expenditure and are based on the 2004/2005 Household Budget Survey (HBS). Seasonally adjusted data are not disseminated.
Periodicity	4.1.1 Periodicity Monthly
Timeliness	4.1.2 Timeliness No later than 4 weeks and 2 days after the end of the reference period. Exception for December publication in January of each year. Additional exception for one month at the time of a rebase.
Access by the Public
Advance dissemination of release calendar	5.1.3 Advance release calendar A four month in advance release calendar showing release dates on a "no later than" basis is issued by the CSO at the end of each month. In addition, a schedule of precise release dates for those statistics that are to be published by the CSO during the following week is issued each Thursday by email to the media and all other interested parties. Both the advance quarterly release calendar and the weekly schedule of release dates can be accessed on the CSO website at http://www.cso.ie/newsevents/stats_due.htm
Simultaneous release to all interested parties	5.1.4 Simultaneous release An email link to the statistical release or publication is issued to interested parties at 11.00am. In addition the full text of all releases and publications is made available on the CSO website at 11.00am at http://www.cso.ie. Key estimates are posted by the CSO to Reuters screens at 11:00 am.
Integrity
Dissemination of terms and conditions under which official statistics are produced, including those relating to the confidentiality of individually identifiable information	0.1.1 Responsibility for collecting, processing, and disseminating statistics Central Statistics Office (CSO) All statistics compiled by the CSO are produced under the provisions of the Statistics Act 1993, which defines the functions of the CSO as the "collection, compilation, extraction and dissemination for statistical purposes of information relating to the economic, social and general activities and conditions in the State". 0.1.2 Data sharing and coordination among data producing agencies Central Statistics Office (CSO) The Statistics Act 1993 states that: “The Office shall have authority to co-ordinate official statistics compiled by public authorities to ensure, in particular, adherence to statistical standards and the use of appropriate classifications. The Office shall have authority to assess the statistical potential of the records maintained by public authorities and, in conjunction with them, to ensure that this potential is realised in so far as resources permit. The Office may make arrangements with other public authorities and persons for the collection, compilation, extraction or dissemination of information for statistical purposes.” 0.1.3 Confidentiality of individual reporters' data Central Statistics Office (CSO) The confidentiality of the data supplied to the CSO is protected by the Statistics Act, as amended  by the European Communities (Collection of Statistics) Regulations, 1999, and by the relevant European Communities legislation. The legislation provides for a strict confidentiality regime: the information collected may be used only for statistical purposes, and the confidentiality of information that could be related to an identifiable person or undertaking must be protected in accordance with the legislation. 0.1.4 Ensuring statistical reporting Central Statistics Office (CSO) The basic information is collected by means of statutory surveys of enterprises and from administrative and other data sources. 0.2.1 Staff, facilities, computing resources, and financing Central Statistics Office (CSO) Resources are adequate for current work programme. 0.3.1 Monitoring user requirements Central Statistics Office (CSO) The National Statistics Board carries out a Survey of Users of CSO Statistics, every four years. Key users are invited to comment on the present statistical system and on progress made since the previous user survey. Users are asked to identify the changes and improvements they would wish to see implemented over the next three to five years. In recent years many Network Groups have been established. These groups contain representatives from Government departments, other agencies, key users and CSO. Matters relating to users needs are discussed. 0.4.1 Quality policy Central Statistics Office (CSO) Our mission statement encapsulates the mandate of the CSO and commits us to producing independent, accurate and relevant statistics in a cost-effective manner to meet the information requirements of all our customers (i.e. government, business, EU, international organisations, media, researchers and the public generally) in a changing economic and social environment. A Quality Assurance and Audit Unit was set up in 2002 to develop a quality management system for the Office. 0.4.2 Quality monitoring Central Statistics Office (CSO) Quality audits of survey areas are undertaken by the Quality Assurance and Audit function. These audits are based on the Office’s Standards and Guidelines – Volume 1 Quality in Statistics. Surveys areas are required to complete a Standard Report on methods and Quality, which will be utilised to monitor quality of statistical outputs. 1.1.1 Impartiality of statistics Central Statistics Office (CSO) The statistical independence of the Director General of the CSO is specified in Section 13 of the Act as follows: "The Director General shall have sole responsibility for and be independent in the exercise of the functions of deciding: a. the statistical methodology and professional statistical standards used by the Office; b. the content of statistical releases and publications issued by the Office; and c  the timing and method of dissemination of statistics compiled by the Office." 1.1.2 Selection of sources, methodology, and modes of dissemination Central Statistics Office (CSO) Reviews of data sources by professional staff are ongoing.   Methodologies follow European and international standards. CSO has an excellent, user- friendly web-site providing access to a comprehensive database of statistics. 1.1.3 Commenting on erroneous interpretation and misuse of statistics Central Statistics Office (CSO) The CSO has full authority to comment on erroneous interpretation and misuse of statistics. This rarely occurs due to the provision of press briefings/conferences where CSO staff can provide information on methodologies, interpretation of statistics and respond to general questions. 1.2.1 Disclosure of terms and conditions for statistical collection, processing, and dissemination Central Statistics Office (CSO) The Statistics Act 1993 (English or Irish versions) is publicly available at Government Publications Sales Office, Sun Alliance House, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (phone: 353 1 6476879; FAX: 353 1 6476843). 1.3.1 Guidelines for staff behavior Central Statistics Office (CSO) The Statistics Act  sets out penalties for any breach of statistical confidentiality and outlines the requirement to protect all information of a confidential nature. All staff are required, before assuming duties as an officer of statistics, to sign a declaration of secrecy.
Identification of internal government access to data before release	1.2.2 Internal governmental access to statistics prior to release Central Statistics Office (CSO) The CSO gives short advance notice of the results of fourteen statistical releases to a limited number of Government Departments and Agencies. The details of the pre-release practice for these releases are publicised on the CSO website. Price index: Consumer prices The index is given in confidence to a senior official in the Taoiseach's (Prime Minister's) Department, the Department of Finance and the Central Bank one hour before release. This information about prior access is published in the regular CSO publication "Guide to Publications and Information Services".
Identification of ministerial commentary on the occasion of statistical releases	1.2.3 Attribution of statistical products Central Statistics Office (CSO) Results are issued by the CSO in clearly identified statistical releases and publications which do not incorporate ministerial or government commentary. Any such commentary is issued separately and is clearly identified as such.
Provision of information about revision and advance notice of major changes in methodology	4.3.1 Revision schedule The national Consumer Price Index series are not revised. The next updating of the index in December 2011 will be based on the 2009/2010 HBS data.
Quality
Dissemination of documentation on methodology and sources used in preparing statistics	5.2.1 Dissemination of documentation on concepts, scope, classifications, basis of recording, data sources, and statistical techniques A full methodological description of the new series is available in the CPI 2006 Introduction to Series booklet which is published on the CSO website (here). 5.2.2 Disseminated level of detail COICOP 2, 3 and 4 Digit and selected special amalgamations (See also summary methodology)
Dissemination of component detail, reconciliations with related data, and statistical frameworks that support statistical cross-checks and provide assurance of reasonableness	4.2.1 Internal consistency Detailed sub-indices are provided, together with average prices for identical items priced throughout the country. Price indices are also published for imports, exports, agricultural and industrial producer prices. 4.2.2 Temporal consistency From January 1997 the EU Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) has been compiled and published in parallel with the National Consumer Price Index. The HICP replaces the Interim Index of Consumer Prices (IICP). HICP data are availble from January 1997.
Footnotes Last posted: Date IMF staff last posted an update to these metadata on the DSBB. Last certified: Date subscriber last officially certified the accuracy of these metadata. Last updated: Date subscriber last submitted an update of these metadata to the IMF.